Do you know how long it takes to form a first impression?

“A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveal that all it takes is one tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those impressions”. (Eric Wargo)

Is there anything that feels better than confidence? 

Every time before we go out we look in the mirror to see how we look.  When we look good, we feel it...and so can everyone else. 

"Having confidence in who you are and how you look is what makes you desirable."

Unfortunately we sometimes don't take the time or do what is necessary for ourselves to look our absolute best.  Never forget, there needs to be a time for you to do something for YOU!  

People nowadays are privileged to have a plethora of procedures at their disposal. From trimming specific parts of the body to improving the texture and firmness of the skin, there's something for anyone!

So what are the 5 reasons you might find yourself looking to cosmetic procedures?

1. Achieving A More Youthful Appearance

Let's be real with ourselves - looks matter a lot in our society.  Many people still judge others based on their appearance, after all it takes less than one second to form an impression of someone. This judgement pushes us to always do our best to look good, but over the years it takes more than creams to maintain youthful skin – and at times even more than treatments.

Here are a few common cosmetic concerns that most patients have, with options to treat:

• Sag around the jawline - Our exclusive Microlift might just be what you need to restore your jawline known as “jowls”.
• Small breasts or loss in volume - If you've lost volume in your breasts due to giving birth or losing weight, or if you just want bigger breasts, then you should schedule a consultation to learn more about our Breast Augmentation
• Excess fat in certain areas – Do you ever find yourself not loving the way certain clothes or swim suits look on you? You might notice a small or large bulge that pops out the top of your jeans or shows in that tight dress, or it can even be clothing that isn’t filled on the buttock or breast areas. Liposuction can help with that and other fat removal desires that you might have. Our LipoSculpture with Fat transfer can help fill and contour your body for natural, beautiful curves.
• Loose skin on the face - Loss of fullness in the eyes and cheeks, as well as loose skin occur as we age, but can also occur with dramatic weight loss. The solution? Our revolutionary fat grafting a.k.a Fat Transfer We will take your own fat and restore your facial contours such as restoring your high cheek bones and reducing the appearance of hollow eyes.

Thankfully, there are a number of cosmetic procedures that were designed to improve one's appearance, and at FAC we offer an array of options from procedures, treatments, spa services, and skin care products that all work to provide you with optimal results.

2. Boosting Self-Confidence

Feeling more confident and having higher self-esteem tend to go hand-in-hand with how we look.

A study by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons involving nearly 2,000 patients found when comparing the results of the psychological tests of the surgical patients to those who had not had plastic surgery, people who went under the knife had higher self-esteem, experienced less anxiety and felt healthier overall. Additionally, those who opted for the procedure reported that they were happier with their bodies as a whole, not just the area on which they had work done.

Age can play a factor in many types of cosmetic procedures. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the most common procedures per age groups in 2018 is listed below:
Age 18-34: Breast Augmentation
Age 35-50: Liposuction
Age 51-64: Liposuction
Age 65+ Eyelid Surgery (Blepharoplasty)

In reality, most people have certain aspects of themselves they would like to improve.  A consultation is an outstanding opportunity to learn about options that can give you the results you want.

3. Feeling Attractive

There's no doubt that everyone desires to be attractive and feel wanted. Unfortunately, some people may not feel as attractive as they get older. The reason for that can be something perfectly normal that affects all of us - the signs of aging and loss of our youthful contours. It can also be something we have grown up wanting to improve about ourselves such as unwanted fat, small breasts, or lack of curves.

Certain areas of the body are more susceptible to show the signs of aging. Let's take the neck for example. No one wants to have sagging skin on the neck, especially the infamous "turkey neck". Often times, the neck is one thing we neglect until we notice the sagging and skin texture changes that happen gradually over time. 

Thankfully though, a neck lift procedure or DVDRF treatment can amend such issues. A neck lift can essentially help with sagging skin, the appearance of jowls and even excess fat beneath the chin while the DVDRF will tighten and improve skin texture.

Get the Body You Want with Body by FAC.

The workplace can be very demanding and stressful. Physical appearance can have a far reaching impact on your professional life.  It can affect how your employers treat you and how much stock clients put in your abilities, regardless of your actual skill level.  

Cosmetic procedures can be competitive edge some people want to advance their careers.  Consider it an investment in yourself and your future.  

With the growing popularity, availability and effectiveness of non-surgical procedures you can now get the results you want without having to spend time away from the office.  To maximize results we customize recommendations for each patient to give you your greatest results.

At Facial Aesthetic Concepts we are happy to be able to provide our patients with a comprehensive approach to keeping a vital appearance from procedures, treatments, skin care services, and skin care regimens.

We offer cosmetic procedure consultations with our doctors, cosmetic treatment consultations with our dermatologic specialists, and skin consultations with our estheticians to ensure you are getting the most out of your visits.

5. Enhancing Your Appearance
Wouldn't it be great if you could just enhance your appearance without following a strict nutritional and workout plan or covering behind makeup? These days social media, and photo filters definitely play a role in how we see ourselves. We begin to notice imperfections we want to improve.

Whether it's about enhancing the look of your face, neck or body, we are here to find the best options for you!

The best results for women over 45 are generally achieved through a combined approach of procedures and treatments.  Our focus is on restoring a youthful appearance and maintaining the results

This combined approach can include injectables, chemical peels, skin tightening procedures, etc.

By: Nikki Bahash Reynolds

Despite our best efforts, we can all spend a little too much time in the sun, especially during the summer in Southern California. That sun exposure can cause discoloration in the skin, breaking down collagen and elastin and is the leading cause of premature aging. Wearing a good form of sun protection whether it's clothing or sunblock is very important.  But sun protection doesn’t completely eliminate UV radiation from penetrating the skin, and that cumulative build up of damage will manifest itself, sometimes years later. At Facial Aesthetic Concepts we offer a range of treatments and products that work to reverse and repair damage caused by UV radiation.

One of the biggest concerns most people have is skin discoloration or hyperpigmentation. This happens when our melanocytes, or pigment producing cells, produce more pigment in specific areas than others. Sometimes this increase in pigment production is temporary, like a tan or a brown spot left over after a burn or injury to the skin. This pigment production is part of the skin’s defense mechanism. Our skin tans to try to protect from UV radiation or other injuries, and those with naturally darker skin tend to be more reactive or sensitive to this. This pigment production is from a specific event and will fade as the trigger is gone and our skin naturally sheds those pigmented cells, or we can expedite that process by exfoliating. There are other types of hyperpigmentation that are more long lasting or temperamental. Melasma is characterized by larger, darker patches of pigment. This can manifest on different areas of the face and body and is usually triggered internally (by hormones /genetics) and can be made worse by heat, inflammation or injury and sun exposure. Other forms of sundamage like solar lentigens (flat brown spots) or poikiloderma (reddish-brown  pigmentation) is caused from repetitive exposure where damage cumulatively builds and results in discoloration of the skin. This type of discoloration, if untreated, will remain or worsen and not fade with natural exfoliation.

Once pigment is produced in the skin the only way to eliminate it is by removing the pigmented cells. We can do this by exfoliating with home products like acids and retinols or with stronger chemical peels, light therapies (IPL) and lasers (Fractional CO2).

Treatments
Treatments work to reduce pigment in a couple different ways.  They use exfoliation or energy to break up pigment and remove the melanin that causes spots and uneven skin tone.  Chemical exfoliation therapies are an excellent tool to exfoliate the surface of the skin to help reduce superficial pigmentation and dead skin cells.  This results in a brighter, more vibrant skin tone with little to no downtime.  Our medical estheticians offer a wide variety of exfoliation therapies that are tailored to your specific needs.

When we are targeting deeper pigmentation we often use IPL or Intense Pulsed Light treatments to break up and remove unwanted pigmentation.  IPL uses targeted light energy that is absorbed in melanin to breakup the pigmentation so that the body may absorb it resulting in a more even skin tone and a reduction in irregular skin tone.  At FAC we have just invested in brand new IPL technology that combines variable wavelength filtration, greater power, along with cooling.  This combination allows us to vary the treatment to target exactly what each patient needs, deliver more power, while providing a more comfortable treatment, a better experience, and improved results.  

Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing creates very small microthermal zones in the skin to resurface only a portion of the skin during a single treatment.  The heat generated by the laser breaks up pigmentation in the skin while stimulating the skin's regenerative processes creating increased collagen production.  The combination of resurfacing and heating produces a dramatic reduction in pigmentation and smooths lines and wrinkles in the skin.    

The deeper the pigment, the more exfoliation or resurfacing necessary to produce even skin tone. One problem with long term sun damage and melasma is that the pigment is very deep, and the melanocytes are primed to just keep over producing pigment in that area. So essentially if all you’re doing is exfoliating; you are fighting a losing battle. That’s where lighteners come in.

Products
Lighteners work with the melanocytes to regulate and normalize pigment production. That way if you exfoliate some existing pigment off, you’re not just making some more right in its place. Hydroquinone is a very popular and effective lightener, and there are many other effective natural lightening ingredients, like Niacinamide, Kojic Acid, Emblica, Vit. C, etc. We offer many amazing lightening products like  Lytera 2.0, Even Tone Pads, Lightening Complex Rx and Ultra Lightening Complex Rx. All of these on their own will work to lighten pigment at the source, but it’s important to remember you still have to take off the existing pigment the reveal the lighter, more evenly toned skin underneath. So many people give up when they don’t see instant changes, even though the product is working underneath. For the best and fastest results, pretreat with a lightener and then do a recommended resurfacing treatment to take off existing pigment.  Continue to use the lightener to maintain results and prevent future damage. Using a lightener once is not a cure to hyperpigmentation; it is a treatment and must continue to be used to be effective, just like SPF or taking a vitamin. It only works when you use it! And you must still protect your skin with protective clothing and sunblock. 

To find out what lightening product and treatment combination is best suited for you call our offices to set up a complimentary consultation with one of our providers, and check out our promos for a great deal on pigmentation therapies!